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Woman Tells in Detail How She Bribed Assassin With Her Love and Promise of Marriage
MRS. KING’S FULL STORY OF HER PLOT TO KILL HUSBAND
Planter Was First Poisoned, But - She
Gave Him an Antidote That Saved
His Life-—Then She Allowed Rival
to Shoot Him With His Own Gun.
MACON. GA.. Dec 2b The gallows, which has not claimed a
| 'oman victim in Georgia since the early seventies, may claim another
before the new year has run its course, for the crime which Mrs.
•lames King confessed in the country jail at Gray is softened by no
extenuating circumstances and contains no shadow of justification.
Mrs. King, a woman of 35. mother of six children, plotted the
murder of her husband with two motives in her heart, a paltry $2,000
which would come to her from his life insurance and an opportunity
>o gratify her infatuation for the man whom she hired to commit the
actual crime. The story from .Mrs. King’s own lips is one of the most
lemarkable recitals of cold blooded criminal conspiracy in the annals
of the Georgia courts.
Twice did the wife put into effect her plot Io bring about her
husband's death. The first attempt failed because she weakened at
the last moment and worked as tenderly to save his life as she had
planned deliberately to slay him. Her instrument was the same in
both attempts. Nick Wilburn, a 25-year-old farm hand, was her ac
complice in the erome, and her choice for a second husband when
the first should be under the sod and her mourning garments doffed.
Old Affection Overcame Her
Strychnine, given James King by Nick Wilburn in a drink of
whisky, was used in the first attempt on the planter's life. But when
King came reeling home, deathly sick from the effects of the poison
ous drug, the wife who had directed the attempt to slay him was
overcome by her affection ami gave him an emetic which saved his
life.
King s own shotgun was the second instrument of death chosen
by the guilty pair, and it did its work. Nick Wilburn, stealing upon
the planter in the hunting Held, snatched the gun from its owner's
hands and shot, him down without a word. The slayer arranged the
body to indicate an accident had occurred and stole back to whisper
his story to the waiting widow. No eye had seen the murder in the
field; none beside the two conspirators suspected the plot; but the
ancient adage thai murder will out was proved true once more ami
Wilburn's own pale face and trembling lips were witnesses against
him.
He was arrested, thrown into jail, questioned by cool-headed of
ficers. and there, as craven under accusation as he had been ip con
spiracy. he confessed his crime and blamed the woman. Her arrest
and confession followed on the heels of her accomplice's story.
Mrs. King s Amazing Confession
"With God Almighty as my helper, I will tell you the truth," said
Mrs. King, in the little jail at Gray. "I can not meet my God with
a lie upon’my lips. Ask the people to have mercy upon me, not for
myself but for my children 's sake.
"I planned with Nick Wilburn to murder my husband. We talk
ed it over frequently ami had been waiting for the time when oppor
tunity should arise. It came at last. The deed was done and we be
lieved our secret safe.
"1 loved Nick Wilburn ami Nick loved me. Our love began last
March, when I began to feel sympathy for Nick who seemed to have
no friends. The sympathy ripened into love, and from that day on
we met as often as we could. We used to meet in the woods and have
long talks together. Whenever my husband left home, Nick would
come and spend hours at a time. Sometimes he remained all night.
Yes, 1 am 35, and he is ten years younger, but we loved each other
just the same.
Hou) Happy We Would Be!
"It was the insurance money which made us plan to kill my
husband. The policy was for $2,000 and was payable to me. My hus
band loved me and wanted me to have everything that was his. But
Nick ami I wanted to be free to love each other and we wanted the
money. So we began to talk of how happy we might be if Jim was
dead. It. didn't take long for the wish to lead into action.
"We first thought of poison, for we believed that would be the
< asiest way and nobody could ever find out even if there were any
suspicion. Nick bought some strychnine and we plotted- that he
should give it to my husband in a drink of whisky.
"Nick met my husband near the house one night, took out a
bottle ami offered Jim a drink. A little later he came staggering into
the house, deathly sick, and told me Nick had given him a drink. I
knew then that our plot was under way. but. my old love for my hus
band came rushing back to me in his presence and I fainted away.
When I rallied I did not have the heart to stand by and let my hus
band die before my eyes. I hastened to give him some medicine as an
emetic and lie soon recovered. All that saved him was my work, and
the fact that Nick had put too little strychnine in the drink.
Recovers Nerve and Plots Death
"Then we were just where we were before. When 1 thought
things over I decided to go on with our plans, and this time we plan
ned to shoot Jim if we could find away to hide our guilt and avoid
suspicion. The time came on December 12.
"Jim was ill that day and the doctor told him not to eat fresh
pork. So Jim said he would take his gun and kill some birds for sup
per. He loaded his shotgun, ami about 3:30 o'clock he went to the
t ‘ Ids. 11 was the last time he was seen alive except by one man- Nick
Wilburn.
"Nick slipped in just after Jim left and asked where he was.
I told him Jim had gone hunting, and Nick spoke up quickly :
Now is our lime.’ be said. ‘Which way did he go?'
I told him. and he slipped out quickly and ran toward the
«oods where Jim had gone 1 watched him hurry across the fields ami
knew that my husband was close to death.
“ Fhe Work Is Done, ” She Whispers
"Late in the evening Johnny Gordon and Frank Wilburn. Nick’s
urother and my daughter's husband, came in and I asked them to go
look for Jim, saying I was afraid something had happened to him.
s Nick came in just then and they wanted him to go. too, but I told
'into i t Nick stay with me And as soon as the others had gone
1 search. Nick whispered to me that the work was done. But I had
I nown it by his white face and his trembling hands Even then I was
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1912.
i WOMAN’S HEART FAILED—ONCE
Despite the fact that Mrs. James King possessed the nerve
to keep her secret under rigid questioning; n spite of her dec-
I laration that she would have gone to the gallows without
breaking down and betraying her accomplice, her woman's
heart tailed her at the first crucial moment of the conspiracy.
When the husband she had plotted to kill came reeling
into her presence, fainting from the effect of poison adminis- I
tered at her instigation, she could not bear to see him die. and {
hastened to give him a remedy which saved his life.
And yet. after this weakening under stress, she took up »
the plot again, steeled her heart against the father of her six
children, and pointed out to Wilburn the direction her husband j
had taken. Then she sat down anti waited calmly for the I
news that his body had been found.
'
struck by a sudden fear that Nick would be suspected, that he had not
the nerve to stand up under questioning. I warned him. but my fears
were true.
"Nick told me how he had found my husband in the field, had
slipped up behind him. snatched the gun from his hands and shot him
down. Jim had begged Nick not to shoot again, and he didn't, but
the first shot was fatal. Jim died in a. moment or two, and then Nick |
slipped away without being seen.
(here was a great deal of talk when Jim's body was found I
with the gun beside it. Jim s brothers sent for detectives, for they
wouldn t believe Jim had killed himself either by accident or with in
tent. and I think they suspected Nick and me. And the detectives
found that negro. Jesse Barber, who told them he had met Wilburn,
and Wilburn had said he was on his way to kill my husband. I don't
know whether Nick was fool enough to talk that way or not. Maybe
it was not true, but anyway the detectives began talking to me while
Nick was there. I bore the ques
tioning all right, but suddenly
one of the detectives turned and
asked Nick what he was trem
bling about. The poor fellow
was shaking like a leaf, and so
they arrested him and made him
tell the truth. When the sheriff
told me what Nick had confessed.
1 knew it was all over -and I
might as well confess, too. I'm
glad I’ve done it. It is a great
load off my mind.”
Loved Him
Best of All.
Mrs. King was arrested at the
village of Red Oak yesterday
afternoon, after Wilburn’s con
fession had been made in the
Macon jail. Mrs. King was vis
iting her sister and the house
was filled with women and chil
dren when the officers entered.
The woman made a bold effort
to deny her guilt when the offi
cers entered and served the war
rant .
“My God!’’ she screamed;
“you charge me with killing my
husband, my pool' dead Jim.
Why, 1 loved him better than all
the world. My God, what will
become of my poor little chil
dren • ’'
Then, in hysterics, she fell to
the floor, crushing the black gar
ments she had donned in false
mourning for the husband she
had helped murder. The chil
dren ran to her, sobbing in fear
of something they did not un
derstand, and tried to comfort
her.
“1 never want to go through
such a scene again,’’ said De
tective Kea. “I was crying like
a baby when I served the war
rant, though 1 knew this woman
had committed a horrible crime.’’
When she recovered her
strength Mrs. King asked that she
might be taken to the Jones coun
ty jail at Grays instead of being
carried to Macon, and the officers
yielded to her request. She hard
ly spoke on the journey, but
when she was locked inside the
sheriff’s room the officers told
her of Wilburn's confession. As
they recited the details of his
story the woman knew there was
no hope for her. After a little
while she suddenly rose from her
chair, threw out her hands and
spoke:
“1 did it. It is all true." she
said. “But if 1 had been ar
rested first 1 would have gone to
the gallows without a tremble,
without a word, rather than drag
him with me. 1 thought ho would
he brave enough to stand by me
as I would have stood by him."
Wilburn's story, told in the
Macon jail yesterday, was prac
tically the same as that of his
accomplice, though not all of the
details of the conspiracy were recited.
He said nothing of ills relations with
I Mrs. King, but told tlie officers she ha 1
promised him S6OO of the insurance
money if he would slay her husband.
Today he went further and said they
hail planned to take the $2,000 and en
joy a long honeymoon t ip. They were
to have been married as soon as a "de
cent period" should have elapsed after
King's death.
"I'm mighiv sorry now." said Wil
burn. "Jim King was always a good
friend to me My family hadn't done
him light, an', wav My brotlu ■ l iaiik
ran aw av with li.s ilaught- i ton
months ago against Jim's wiii."
President-elect Woodrow Wilson and Mary Baldwin seminary, the big Presbyterian girls’
school at his birthplace in Staunton. Va„ where he will hold a reception this afternoon for the
people of the town. His father was pastor of the Staunton Presbyterian church when the pres
ident-elect was born 5G years ago today.
38 DYNAMITERS
FOUND m
Continued From Page One.
called. He started and then threw
down his paper and took his place in
the line.
i Balkan War More
Interesting to Him.
■ "I was so interested in the Balkan
• war I forgot where 1 was,” he whis
i pered to tlie man next to him.
Ryan, tlie head of a union of 12,000
" members, sat in tiie last row of the de
‘ fendants* benches until he was called
- to the bar. The union leader betrayed
f absolutely no emotion as he calmly
; arose and took his place in the line.
Despite the solemnity of the occasion,
a number of the spectators smiled at
the actions of Frank K. PainttW, of
Omaha. When his name was called he
I removed a stickpin from Ills necktie
i and handed it with his purse to his
; lawyer.
. One of tlie most picturesque figures
in the room was Tveitnioe, the San
Francisco labor leader. Because of his
studious life and literary productions,
I the prisoner looked out of place amidst
the tales of violence and dynamite out
, rage which made up the evidence in the
ease. Tveitinoe wears glasses and has
the face of a student.
Sentences of Two
Years Expected.
It is within tlie power of the court to
suspend sentence, or impose lines wlth
out prison terms, or include both fines
and imprisonment. There is a general
belief that the average sentence im
posed will be about eighteen months or
, two .'ears, but there is no official word
to substantiate it.
After receiving tlie sentences tlie
■ prisoners will b>- taken to a Federal
I pi Ison, probably Leavenworth, unless
• an appeal stays tlie execution of the
■ sentences.
If the prisoner- arc removed to Fed
’ eral prison immediately after sentence
is imposed, a special train probably w ill
: be used.
Fines aggregating $60,000 could be
■ imposed upon eacli guilty defendant.
; Member-- of the Fnited States district
attorney's office declare that a SIO,OOO
fine could be imposed on the conspira
cy charge and $2,000 for each proved
Sleeps in the Bed in Which He Was Born
WILSON AT BIRTHPLACE
I
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wig
offense in the illegal transportation of
dynamite.
Those found guilty wer§ the follow
ing:
, Frank M. Ryan, president of the In
ternational Bridge and Structural Iron
Workers; John T. Butler, Buffalo, vice
president of the association; Herbert
S, Hockin, former secreary of the or
ganization, of Detroit. Mich.; Olaf A.
Tveitmoe, San Francisco, secretary of
the California Building Trades council;
Eugene A. Clancy, San Francisco;
Philip Cooley, New Orleans; Michael
J. Young, Boston; Frank J. Higgins,
Boston; J. E. Munsey, Salt Lake City;
Frank C. Webb, New York; Patrick F.
Farrell, New York; John H. Berry, St.
Louis; Paul J. Morris, St. Louis; Hen
ry W. Legleitner, Denver: Charles N.
Beum, Indianapolis; W. E. Reddin, Mil
waukee Michael J. Cunnane, Philadel
, phia; Richard Houlihan, Chicago;
James Cooney, Chicago: James H.
Coughlin, Chicago: William Shoup.
Chicago; Edward Smythe, Peoria, Ill.;
James E. Ray, Peoria III.; Murray Pen
nell, Springfield, Ill.; William C. Burn
hardt, Cincinnati; Wilford Brown, Kan
sas City: William J. McCain. Kansas
City. Mo.; Frank K. Painter. Omaha;
' Peter J. Smith, Cleveland, Ohio; George
Anderson, Cleveland, OJiio: Michael J.
Hannon, Scranton Pa.; Edward E.
i Phillips, Syracuse, N. Y.; Charles
Wachtmeister, Detroit; Frank J. Mur
phy. Detroit; Fred J. Mooney. Duluth,
Minn.; Ernest G. W. Basey, Indianapo
lis; Fred Sertnan, Indianapolis: Hi
ram W. Kline, Muncie, Ind., former or
ganizer of the Brotherhood of Carpen
ters and Joiners.
Record Conviction
Os Labor Men.
This was the largest number of la-
I bor men in the history of the United
States ever found guilty at one time on
any charge. Tlie jury had been out
nearly 41 hours, having retired at 5
o'clock Thursday, December 26. The
trial had been in progress nearly three
months, having begun in Federal court
here on October 1.
No appeal can be taken until the sen
tences are passed, but lawyers for the
defense announced at once that the ap
peals will be taken as soon as possible.
All the defendants will be given a
chance to see their wives Sun4ay at the
Marion county jail.
Many of the defendants tried to smile
as they were led away and Some of
them succeeded in laughing.
originally there were 51 defendants,
but some were discharged by the court
for lack of evidence. The defendants
had entered pleas of eiot guilty on
Man h 12 last and immediately begun
In' mg plans for a hard legal battle in
court. Every resource known to the
law w is utilized by the defense, and the
I best known lawyers in tlie country were
|r< tained. There were 26 offenses in all
| charged against the defendants, the
I indictment counts totaling 1,040.
President-Elect Greeted on His
Birthday by Old Townspeople
at Staunton, Va.
STAUNTON, VA., Dee. 28.—Presi-
• dent-elect Woodrow Wilson awoke to
day in the same room in which he was
born 56 years ago. Although still pale
I from the effects of his recent cold, the
’ president-elect said he was feeling bet
ter and did not think that the enter
tainments provided for his birthday
would have any bad effect on his
health.
Practically all of today's program
was given over to a renewal of the
boyhood ties of Mr Wilson and his
visits included calls upon three aged
women who used to nurse the presi
dent-elect in his babyhood.
The first visit was made to a sani
tarium where Mrs. Elizabeth Kayser,
now a paralytic, is an inmate. Mrs.
1 Kayser was an intimate friend of the
Wilson family and used to assist the
, president-elect's mother in "minding
the baby.”
The other iwo nurses of "Little
, Tom, as Governor Wilson was known
when he was a little boy, are Mrs. H
L. Hoc. r .ind Mrs. Am inda Fultz. The
latter is the mother of David Fultz, now
a New York lawyer and a former
baseball and football star of Brown
university.
Meets Forme- Servant.
Mr. \\ ilson also met for the first time
in many years Frank T. Ware, a form r
servant in the Wilson family.
, “Manj’ times I had < are of Little
Tom' and wheeled him in his little car
riage." said Ware. "He was always a
good boy and never gave any trouble
to those who nursed him.”
Political lint s, are forgotten here in
the celebration of the coming of the
distinguished first citizen. On< of the
foremost members of the committee on
arrangements, J. S. Collins, who de
signed the arches for the street deco
rations. was a Taft man during the
campaign and worked against Mr. Wil
son, and the Rev. w. m. Fraser, a
classmate of Mr. Wilson, was selected
to deliver the speech of welcome. Rev.
Mr. Frazer is pastor of the First Pres
byterian church, which was formerly
the church of the pn sident-elect's fa
ther.
When Mr. Wilson learned that indoor
ceremonies would be held in tlie chapel
in which he was baptized he smiled as
he ran his hand over his head and re- ■
marked: "I haven't much more hair
now than 1 had then,”
SEEK WOMAN IN
PROBE Os DEATH
Relatives of John Perkins Ask
Autopsy to Solve Sudden
Fatal Illness.
Continued From Page One
lighted well, and thsre was a lot of
confusion.
"The little boy. Robert, was here j ast
Sunday and asked to see the old mun
He told me he was a friend, and didn't
say the old man was his father. He
walked upstairs and stayed maybe an
hour in Mr. Perkins’ room, talking tn
him.
"We found several bank books in Mr,
Perkins' room. The detectives got
| some and 1 found two afterward ano
I gave them to Mr. Alexander today
Boy Asked for
Father’s Effects.
"The boy. Robert, came again ye?,
terday and asked me to give him what,
ever property the old man had left in
the room. He admitted then that Mr.
Perkins was his father. I didn’t give
him anything. There wasn't anything
to give except the bank books and a
few odds and ends.
"Mr. Perkins didn’t receive any pack
age on Christmas day that 1 know of.
He ate his dinner up town, and looked
all tight at supper time. He ate an
ordinary supper, not too much nor too
little, and it was maybe an hour after
ward that he got sick. 1 don't know
whether lie took anything or ate any
thing between supper and his attack."
Mr and Mrs. Perkins lived together
in Atlanta until about four years ago,
when she got a divorce and was award
ed the custody of her two children,
Paui. now aged sixteen, and Robe:;,
now twelve. About two years later
Perkins came to Atlanta, found the
elder boy on the street and took him to
a sister’s home at Hillsboro. It created
quite a sensation at the time, but the
mother was unable to induce Perkins
or his relatives to surrender the bey.
She had married H. B. Wingard, a rail
road mun. in the meantime. They are
living in Capitol avenue.
Revealed Name
Just Before Death.
Within the past month the old mar
came to Atlanta again, engaged boa.d
at tlie Yeargin place, about two blocks
from the Wingard home, and met Rob
ert frequently on the street. He was
known at the boarding house as Mr
.'loses, but just before he died he gave
his name as John Perkins, of Nashville,
Tenn.
Next morning, after the papers had
published the story of John Perkins
sudden death, Mrs. Wingard appeared
at the undertaking establishment and
asked to see the body. She identified if
as that of her former husband, and i
was then that she declared her belie:
that he had come to Atlanta to kidnap
his second child.
Mrs. Wingard received reporters to
day in her basement room at 36 Capitol
avenue, one number in a row of old
fashioned red brick boarding houses
with high steps and basement dining
rooms, just in the rear of the state
house. She is a little blond woman with
blue eyes and wavy hair, plump and
seemingly happy. A baby and a wooly
dog played together at her feet as she
talked of Perkins and their troubles.
Ex-Wife Tells
Os Separation.
“I hadn’t spoken to John Perkins it
five years—not since I gained my di
vorce and he put me on the train." she
said. "1 wanted nothing to do with
him, wanted nothing he had. didn't
want ever to hear of him again. He
told me I was, taking my ducks to thf
wrong pond, and I replied that I would
keep their heads above the water.
"No, I didn't go to the boarding house
where lie lived and died. My little boy
Robert, went there once or twice. The
old man was nice to the boy and they
used to talk together sometimes, ami
Robert alwaj j came and told im
about it.
“Yes, I sent Robert to the boarding
house yesterday, but not to bring back
any of Perkins' property. T didn't wan':
anything of his. I told Robert to ask
Miss Yeargin to take care of the old
man’s valise or anything else he had.
for the negroes around there had tola
me of some woman who claimed to be
his wife and who was laying claim u
his belongings. I don’t know whether
there was anything in their story or no..
Intends to Fight
To Get Back Son.
“The next thing I’m going to do Is to
try again to recover my oldest sor..
Paul, taken away two years ago by
Perkins. These Alexanders are keeping
him hidden out down at Hillsboro, ami
I want him back. He is mine The
court gave him to me. Now that his
father is dead there can't possibly be
any excuse for any one else, aunt •
anybody, keeping my boy. I’ve re
tained a lawyer and I'm going to have
(Paul back.
"I understand Perkins had < an. •
erable property. Mr. Poole told > l,f
there was S6O in his pockets and a ban!
book showed a balance of S3OO. I j*’ ll
want it, but his two sans, my children,
certainly should get it. Perkins !>“'■
nobody else but his sister, this M “
Alexander.
"• •h. yes, I've seen him often, but
to speak. When I lived in Hunt''
street near the engine house he user
to come to town and board close by ana
I’d see him looking at the house ata
hanging around. And not long ''B°
since I moved here, I saw him over u
the capitol yard across the street. 1" ■'
ing toward this house.
"You say they are talking of hole :r>6
an autopsy'.’ Well, 1 reckon that "t;
be right. Alexander seems to
something is wrong and it's
clear things up."